Paper box



(No Model.) M.' L. WILCOX.

A PAPER BOX.- Y f No. 289,790. Paten-ted Dec..4,1883l I mlj/EEE-q 'l zuPhmvLimomvber. wnhlngmn, nA C,

Awhich lock by extending out laterally from s UNITE *rares L MYRON L.NVILOOX, OF BROOKLYN, NF.VT YORK.

PAPER Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,790, dated December4, 1883. Application filed September 26, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, MYRON L. VrLcox, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin the Construction of Paper Box'es 5 and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact description thereof.

-My improved boxes belong to the class known in the trade as lockedboxes, being made of stiff paper-3X or 4X manila or other suitablematerial-eut by machinery, and with the proper creases and cornersinitiated by machinery, but with the flaps finally engaged togetherwithout paste or other cement by simply locking togetherthe iiaps bymeans of properly-formed tucks. The firm of J. WV. lVilcox Si Sons, ofthis city, and other boxmanufacturers, have long used a simple tuckanalogous to a pocket-book tuck; also, a mode of locking in which side'extensions or wings projecting from a narrow iiap are received in holesin an opposite broad flap. The present invention combines both theseprinciples. I produce a narrow hap having side wings,

the flap in opposite directions, beingl inserted through a hole in theopposite iiap, and also extend the narrow ilap, so that not only itsside wings, but also its end, is inserted through the hole in the flap.It is for some uses important to be able to conveniently unlock the boxwithout tearing or straining the tuck. I provide a handle, properlylocated, for this purpose by simply producing a semicircular slit in thematerial at the right point. The semicircle thus described may be bentVup or may be cut out and removed altogether. In the first case itserves as a handle to be grasped. In the latter case it serves as ahandle in which thethumb or finger is inserted. The sides as well as theends may be similarly locked. I will show the invention as mainlyapplied to the ends.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, andrepresent what I con sider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure l is a perspective view of an end of the completed box, with theflaps locked together ready for use. Fig. 2 is on a smaller scale. Itshows the stout paper for the entire box in an extended condition'. Fig.3 is an end view of the completed box. Figs. 2 and 2" show the sidesequipped for being similarly 55 joined. Figs. 3 and 8 show amodification, in which, instead of the rectangle being eut out entirely,it is only cut on three sides, and4 the inelosed material deiiected downinstead of being removed altogether. Fig. 3n shows 6o the aperture thusmade, and Fig. 3b shows the lock completed. Fig.` 4 shows the tuck witha semicircular hole instead `of a semieireular l flap for a handle.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre- 765 sponding parts in allthe figures.

The entire box is formedfroin a single piece of sui'liciently stoutpaper or other material capable of being folded. The four sides A of themain body are formed as usual. The joint 7o may be re-enforced bylapping the edges over la considerableportion of one side. These partsmay overlap or not. This depends on the width and thickness of the box.

I have shown two end ilaps folding inward from the sides marked A. Thenovelty lies entirely in the front and rear fiaps. The rear ilap ismarked B. A considerable rectangular hole is produced by suitable diesnear the middle of this lap,as indicated by b. 8o A portion of the frontfiap where it attaches to the main body is of the usual width. Beyondthis is a narrowed portion, which I will term a tuck. 7 It is marked D,certain portions being designated,when necessary, by addition- 8 5 almarks, as D2 D3. rIhe neck or point of junction of this tuck D with thepart D is narrower than the hole b in the opposite ilap. Beyond this thetuck is widened by wings DZ D2.

The length of the tuck D is greater than the 9o u correspondingdimensions of the hole b.

To lock the parts, the ilaps A' having been previously folded down, therear flap, B, is brought lightly down nearly to its nal position; thenthe finger and thumb being applied 9 5 to the wings D'z to bend themdownward toward the hole b, the entire hap D, and its tuck D', andpartially-folded wings D2 are folded over upon the ap B, so that the endD3 of the tuck D is thrust downward through the hole 10o b after thewings DZ are -thrust downward through the said hole; then the wings D2are liberated and allowed. to expand, the entire front ap, as also theentire rear flap, are iiattened down by hand or otherwise, and the lockis complete. A semicircular cut, d, having been previously made in thematerial in the position indicated, the lip, thus partially liberated,can be bent upward, when required, and serve as a handle by which towithdrawthe tuck. By grasping this lip with the thumb and finger andpulling, the force will be exerted on the central portion of the tuckD', and induce a curving of' the material thereof, which will allow thewings D2 to assume the same form which they did when they wereintroduced, and permit the tuck to be readily withdrawn by areversemovement. In the most complete means of carrying out the invention, bothends of the box are formed in the manner here described, and the entirebox may be knocked down7 after being folded around, so as to form thesides A completely, but leaving the ends open. I d0 not confine myselfto that construction.

Modifications may be made in the forms and proportions. The wings D2 maybe made of rectangular outline instead of round. The end of' the tuck D'may be square or rounded instead ofpointed, as shown. In large boxes Ican make two or more of the narrow flaps D',

' each with their wings D2,and correspondingly provide an opposite ilap,B,with two holes, b. I can make the side flaps.A',longer or shorter, orcan dispense with them altogether. Iprefer to equip both ends of the boxwith the narrow tuck D', with its wings D2; but this is not essential.One end may be secured by any other means. For some uses the oppositeend may be left entirely open. The material set free by the semicircularcut d may be deflected by receiving the end of the finger.

upward to serve as a handle to be grasped, or may be cut out altogether,allowing the aperture thus formed to serve as a holding means The termcut Wis used to designate both forms of' the handle.

' The invention may be applied to the manufacture of boxes ofwidely-varied dimensions and proportions. I propose to employ it inpocket-books.

I claim as my inventionl. In a folded box, the flap B, having theaperture b, and the winged tuck D' D,.of a greater length than width,combined with convenient means for lifting the tuck D' at its center,and all arranged as shown, so thatr in locking the parts not only theside Wings, D2, but also the end D3 of the tuck D' is engaged in thehole b, and all the wings may be readily disengaged, as hereinspecified.

2. In a folded box having a tuck, D', provided With wings D2, engaged inthe shorter and narrower hole b in the opposite iiap, B, substantiallyas specified, a handle formed by the cut d, arranged as shown, so thaton applying force thereto to open the lock the tuck D will be lifted byits center and the wings D2 deiiected downward7 substantially as hereinspecified.

'In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Rochester, NewYork, this 13th day of September, 1883, in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

MYRON L. WILGOX.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. HARRis, A. MOORE.

